Tuesday, October 31, 2017

Today marks the last day of October and if you have been following along with me, that means it's also the last day of Inktober where artists draw a picture a day in October. I am not suggesting I'm an artist though. I used Inktober to practice my 'gesture drawing' skills as well as read/reread/research knifefighting. Why knifefighting? Learn how to use the knife in order to know how to defend against it.

Can you believe it? It seemed daunting at the onset, but lo and behold, here we are! For my Day #31 of Inktober picture, I'm focusing on Craig Douglas' Pikal expression.

Thank you all for your feedback and support as well as joining me in this project in my Sojourn of Septillion Steps!

Angles are simply the common #1 and #2 strokes in Filipino Martial Arts regardless of whether it's a diagonal, horizontal, upwards or downwards

Objective: Bull through adversary, thrusting like a sewing machine, rapid-fire and ballistic

Attributes that drive the system:

Footwork - allows one to close and hit

Power - drives blade and sink tip through flesh/clothing

Mechanics - hook and clear the interrupted thrust line

Stance

Weapon side forward

Point facing adversary

Unencumbered hand behind weapon

On balls of feet for quick zoning in and out of range

Keep everything compacted

Notes

Face obscured because at the time, SouthNarc was still an active duty undercover narcotics officer in the southern USA when he shared his expression of Pikal, hence, his nick of "SouthNarc"

Rear heel raised

RGEI - prior to Craig Douglas sharing his expression of Pikal, there were not many instructors publically teaching the RGEI... any time you look in a book or article prior to his teaching, anytime you saw reverse grip aka "icepick" - the edge was facing out and not INTO the body!

Humans are generally stronger pulling in than pushing out and with RGEI, a lot of damage can be caused on the pull-in

More on SouthNarc's Pikal in the near future.

My drawings for Inktober 2017 - drawing at least 1 pic each day in October:

"Abanico" is a quick combination of two cuts. First cut is a 'meet the force' (your attack meets his attack) and intercepts the incoming slash. Immediately after the first cut, put your safety check in place and rotate your hand to flow into a second cut in the opposite direction. Moves are tight and fast. Draw your edge through each cut.

Notes

"Abanico" is the Spanish word for "Fan"

Combination of inward slash and a backhand slash thrown in quick succession

After the knife cuts, quickly rotate wrist to palm down and cut in opposite direction with a backhand slash

Can reverse the order of cuts

Can progress to doing two abanicos

One more day/picture tomorrow!

My drawings for Inktober 2017 - drawing at least 1 pic each day in October:

There’s an old fencing trick that can be adapted here, as well. Since the lunge is made from the left foot, draw the left foot close to the right. Your opponent will judge your effective distance from your normal position, but when you lunge forward, your reach will be greater than he expects.I once taught a judo and self-defense class at a YMCA that had a fencing team. One of the fencers was interested in knives, so we made some dummy knives to work out with after class. He was good at fencing and had won several matches in the Southeast. He moved beautifully and with frightening speed. When he lunged, he had about a 30 percent chance of landing a good hit. When he failed, however, he would have been crippled or killed.Or else the right hand, holding the knife, can drive the point into your arm, causing you to slice your own forearm as you move forward.Fencing lunges are always preceded by some fake or series of attacks designed to bring the opposing sword out of line so that the thrust can reach home. This isn’t possible with a knife, so the thrust and lunge have to be made as a single movement, with speed as the keynote for success. It just doesn’t work all the time.
To sum all this up, I would advise you against lunging. You’re safer staying with cuts to the arm and leg until you can move in and finish your opponent off safely.

My drawings for Inktober 2017 - drawing at least 1 pic each day in October:

Saturday, October 28, 2017

Day #28 of Inktober ... October and Inktober closing out soon. What a spectacular sojourn this has been for me! Following up on my previous Inktober pictures focusing on targeting, today's pic is from Uncle Fester's "Bloody Brazilian Knife Fighting Techniques".

P. 6
For those of us who have faced knife-wielding
assailants, there is a defining moment,
that split second in which you realize you are
facing ghastly wounding or death and you
MUST act and act decisively.

P. 12Know your targets - A knife allows one to flee, negotiate, hurt or kill the opponent. In contrast to a handgun, one can have, almost literally, surgical precision with it. A skilful fighter must have a thorough knowledge of human anatomy to be able to achieve the expected effect with each attack.

P. 20Injuries on tendons, muscles or nerves -
stop any bleeding by direct pressure and immobilize
the limb. Protect the open wound
with clean sterile dressing. It will be necessary
to seek surgical intervention in a proper
medical environment.

P. 25Attack types

Knives and many other objects can cut or
perforate skin and contuse. Criminals use the
most diverse way to cause violence. Attacks
can be categorized as:

Immobilizing:

Characteristics - The goal is to incapacitate
the opponent preserving its life.
Targets - Ligaments, muscles and tendons. Avoid main arteries.

Eyes (avoid deep thrusts, superficial cuts)

Shoulders - muscles and tendons

Arms - Biceps and Triceps

Forearms - Tendons

Hand - Tendons

Knees - Tendons, ligaments (front and back)

Feet - Tendons and ligaments (front and back)

As always, I hope this project as well as my blog helps in your Training!

My drawings for Inktober 2017 - drawing at least 1 pic each day in October:

From Way of the Raven: Blade Combatives Vol. One (2014)By Fernan Vargas, Master at ArmsPage 143

THE FAIRBAIRN TEMPLATE

W.E. Fairbairn was arguably the most influential man in the history of WWII era combatives. Fairbairn's system of knife work was extremely simple and effective for the context in which it developed. One of my favorite Gems of information from the WWII era can be found in Fairbairn's book "Get Tough". In "Get Tough" Fairbairn includes a very small section on the use of the Smatchet, a large combat knife with a leaf shaped widely used thoughout the British military at the time. In this section Fairbairn demonstrates four techniques in sequence. For our purposes we have adopted the sequence as a vital template, paying special attention to the targets demonstrated by Fairbairn. The Fairbairn Sequence is as follows:

Thrust to the abdomen.

Backhand slash to the carotid artery

Forehand slash to the carotid artery

Pommel smash downwards into the face

From Get Tough by William E. Fairbairn

Close-In Blows

Drive well into the stomach (Fig. 116).

"Sabre Cut" to right-low of neck (Fig. 117).

Cut to left-low of neck (Fig. 118).

Smash up with pommel, under chin (Fig. 119).

Smash down with pommel into the face (Fig. 120).

Fernan Vargas' Fairbairn Vital Template is a little different than the sequence depicted in Get Tough which is very cool! An example of the classic Bruce Lee/Jeet Kune Do quote in action!

"Absorb what is useful, reject what is useless, add what is specifically your own."

I'm guessing that the sequence flowed better by dropping one strike, the smash up with pommel under the chin. Play with it, make it your own! Only you know how your body moves and what flows well and what doesn't. My understanding of Vital Templates in general is to emphasize Flow like water looking for an empty space to fill. Flowing between the targets and if met with obstruction, flow to the next target in the template.

Just Flow!

Source pictures from Get Tough below found off the Internet.

And my edit of the Fairbairn Vital Template as one picture.

I took the liberty to make a picture of the Fairbairn Vital Template from source pictures from Get Tough.

As always, I hope this helps in your Training!

My drawings for Inktober 2017 - drawing at least 1 pic each day in October:

The eighteen basic attacks of pananandata may be grouped twelve at a time. The possibility of the repetition of an attack within the group of twelve movements will result in numerous combinations. By algebraic methods, the exact number of 12-taga abakadas (forms) may be determined. Though not directly applicable to combat, the twelve tagas , practiced diligently, will lend instinctive skill to the free fighter.

The twelve tagas have for their targets parts of the body from the groin to the top of the head. The twelve tagas consist of nine cutting actions and three thrusts. Two of the thrusts may also be delivered like cuts. Of the cuts, six are executed horizontally; two diagonally; and one vertically. Five of the attacks originate from the right, five from the left, and two from the center. The cuts, thrusts, and their targets are:

Tabas talahib: Temple - RFH (right forehand) slash to temple, palm up

Tagang alanganin: Jaw - RBH (right backhand) slash to jaw, palm down

Tabas talahib: Biceps - RFH slash to biceps, palm up

Tagang alanganin: Elbow - RBH slash to elbow, palm down

Saksak sa sikmura: Solar plexus - Right thrust to solar plexus

Aldabis sa ilalim: Groin - RBH slash to groin - palm down

Saksak sa kanan: Chest - RFH thrust to chest - palm down

Tagang buhat araw: Top of head - Right vertical slash down to head

Tabas talahib: Neck - RFH slash to neck - palm up

Tagang alanganin: Neck - RBH slash to neck - palm down

Tagang San Miguel: Side of head - RFH slash to side of head - palm up

Sungkit sa kaliwa: Side of face - RBH thrust to side of face - palm up

Note: Any mistakes in transcription/interpretation are mine.

My drawings for Inktober 2017 - drawing at least 1 pic each day in October:

TARGETSAfter the fight you'll probably want to wipe off your blade. But if you don't hit anything
you won't have to clean it; as a matter of fact, if you don't hit anything, your opponent
probably will and what he hits will be PART OF YOU.LOOK for targets on HIM, and let them feel your steel. IN A KNIFE DUEL, ANY
TARGET IS A GOOD ONE TO BEGIN. THE KILL, HOWEVER, IS THE
ULTIMATE.Here are your targets:

The hand that holds his blade.

The heart which pumps his blood.

The throat which contains his windpipe and blood supply to and from his head.

His chest area which contains his lungs, heart, diaphragm and various other things he'd
rather not have punctured.

His back, below the shoulder blades. Thrust the knife INBOARD, toward the center of
his body. Work your knife handle back and forth; this will do far more damage than a
single thrust. In any portion of the back, chest, stomach or throat area PUMP THE
HANDLE OF YOUR KNIFE.

Comments

Sometimes in Life one has a specific goal in mind, a target if you will. And if the target is obstructed, and won't be easy to achieve/access, then what does one do? Keep going for for the target? If you have your mind set on putting the square peg in the square hole, but you keep finding a circular hole, do you keep trying to force the square peg in?

Do not fixate on a target. Learn to flow. Look for the opening to your target but if obstructed, flow, take the target given to you! As Styers says above, "In a knife duel, any target is a good one..." Earlier this month, I attended a Terry Trahan knifefighting seminar. On targeting, he taught something to the effect of go for the large targets.

"Any time sharpened steel meets flesh, flesh loses. Once the fury of flashing steel begins, it is almost impossible to stop without sustaining injury. That is the reality of a knife attack. That is what makes a knife so dangerous to fight against."

My drawings for Inktober 2017 - drawing at least 1 pic each day in October:

As always, I hope this post, this project, as well as this site helps you in your Sojourn of Septillion Steps!

From John Styers' "Cold Steel" (1952)Pages 68-70

Captions

For an enemy attack, feint a low attack; draw his weapon low.

When the opponent lowers his blade, attack his hand or wrist. (undrawn)

Whip the blade up for a thrusting cut to your opponent's head.

Attempt a straight thrust for your opponent's head or throat. (undrawn)

Notes

PASSATA SOTTOAnother means of getting your blade into your opponent, other than the direct manner
from the guard position, is to perform a passata sotto in which you merely BEND THE
TORSO VERY LOW and to the LEFT from the guard position. Thrust directly into the
LOWER RIGHT CHEST or ABDOMINAL AREA of your opponent. This is a fine
attack against an opponent who raises his right arm high in his attack, or otherwise
exposes his lower right side. In some instances a left step may accompany the attack.
This movement is also excellent for FAKING a low cut, drawing your opponent's blade
low, whereupon you strike for his HAND, FOREARM or HEAD. If he refuses to be
drawn low, you may safely risk an attack on his KNEE CAP.

The in-quartata or out-of-line starts from the guard position. Conceal the nature of your attack until opponent is in range.

When opponent rushes into range, thrust home and apply power with the rear leg, directing the body to the right side.

Your rear leg will push off and swing to the right, pivoting the body out of line with the oncoming rush of your opponent.

The full pivot out of line, with your rear foot solidly planted. Retain your full thrust, letting the opponent cut the blade out. If you attack an enemy from the rear or flank, try a straight thrust to the throat with the
full edge, not the point, of your blade. Immediately draw the knife back, snapping the
cutting edge of the knife across opponent's throat, making two cuts.

IN-QUARTATA OR OUT-OF-LINEThe defensive movement in fencing known as in-quartata or OUT-OF-LINE is a fine
movement of the feet which throws the body approximately three feet out of the line of
your opponent's attack if he attacks with so much force that you do not choose to be there
to meet it with a stop thrust.From your guard position, knees slightly bent, you execute a full thrust as the torso
vigorously pivots, assisted by the free arm whipping back.You will also utilize the FULL POWER of your REAR leg to pivot the whole body on
the FORWARD leg. Your rear leg swings around in an arc and lands on the opposite
side. Your entire stance should now look like a full sabre thrust from a sabre stance, but
YOU ARE AT AN ANGLE TO YOLR OPPONENT.Your opponent's momentum will carry him over your original position, by about two or
three feet. There will be no need for you to withdraw your blade from your opponent, his
momentum will carry his BODY OUT OF THE BLADE!

My drawings for Inktober 2017 - drawing at least 1 pic each day in October:

Lee Morrison credits STAB for most of the knifefighting and counterweapons training he teaches in UC (Urban Combatives).

The Three Es: Escape, Equalize, Eliminate

First choice: If you have the option to Escape, do so.

Second option: Equalize the threat - pick up anything close to use to even the odds ... hit, throw or shield with the equalizer.

Third choice: Eliminate threat - shift into do-or-die mindset. My drawing doesn't include "Eliminate" - that may be a future drawing/picture, but basically you do what you have trained in for the third "E".

Learn to recognize these Pre-Assault Cues!
Dan Inosanto teaches as his anti-knife ROE (Rules of Engagement):

Run!

Throw things!

Use things!

Martial Arts -- and expect to get cut.

IMO, STAB's The Three Es is an easy concise way to remember Dan Inosanto's anti-knife ROE. You now have a set of ROE to work under. Now you know, and knowing is half the battle!!

Be aware and stay safe my Friends!

My drawings for Inktober 2017 - drawing at least 1 pic each day in October:

10 days left until the end of October! That means the end of Inktober also! Thank you for joining me in my Sojourn of Septillion Steps for this project of combining drawings for Inktober and researching martial arts/self-defense. Early in my Inktober drawings I had no focus/theme. Then I was going to attend a Terry Trahan knifefighting seminar and I had an "Ah ha!" moment. Since then, I've been drawing pictures related to knifefighting.

Continuing my research/studies of "tells"/"PINs" (Pre-INcident indicators) today with a picture of some common body language cues taught by Lee Morrison of Urban Combatives.

If you missed my other posts on Pre-Assault Cues with regard to knifefighting, please check out:

Always assume aggressor is armed and scan his hands. Can you see both hands and all fingers?

Approached by aggressor with distracting dialogue

Adrenal reactions tells:

erratic eye movement,

pale face,

wide-open eyes,

or trembling hand

Lee Morrison mentioned "distracting dialogue" above. One of the best writeups I've seen is from Geoff Thompson. He teaches it as"The Four D's" in Chapter 1 of his "Dead or Alive" book:

The Four 'D'sThere are four techniques often used by attackers, especially muggers and rapists, in preparing victims for attack. Although these are nearly always overlooked by self-defence writers, the four 'D's – dialogue, deception, distraction and destruction – are the most important element of self-protection to be aware of.DIALOGUEDialogue designed to disarm and distract the targeted victim is the professional attacker's most common priming technique. An attacker will approach a potential victim in a non-threatening way and begin a conversation. Often, he will ask a question about directions, ask if you have the time, a light, or any spare change. His objective is to make you think about his question, so that you do not notice the weapon he is drawing or his accomplice coming round behind you. It only takes a second of distraction for you to get into deep trouble. Understanding this will make you more aware and keep you alert, which is the most important part of target hardening.DECEPTIONAn attacker uses deception to make himself appear harmless. Dialogue and appearance are the most common methods used to deceive victims, to make them let down their guard. Do not expect dangerous people to stand out in a crowd.Attacks may start with politeness, even with an ingratiating approach. Deception is the attacker's greatest asset. Every attack I have ever documented that was not a blind-side attack (the ones that happen when you do not use awareness) came through deception, the attacker using this as a window of opportunity.DISTRACTIONDistraction is a part of deception and usually comes through dialogue. The attacker may ask his victim a question and then initiate attack while the victim is thinking about the answer. This distraction also switches off any instinctive, spontaneous physical response the victim may have. A man with twenty years of physical training in a fighting art can be stripped of his ability by this simple ploy. I have witnessed many trained fighters, who are monsters in the controlled arena, get beaten by a guy with only an ounce of their physical ability. How? They were distracted before the attack. Rob, a hardened street fighter and nightclub doorman, always told potential opponents that he didn't want to fight before he attacked them. Their first thought when recovering consciousness would be: 'I'm sure he said he didn't want to fight!'If the distraction is submissive, 'I don't want any trouble, can we talk about it?' it will also take your assailant down from a state of fight or flight to one of low awareness, because your submissiveness tells him that the danger is over and he can relax into self-congratulation.Brain engagement, via disarming/distracting dialogue, gives the victim a blind second. This is when the assailant strikes. The distraction is also used by the experienced attacker to take down any protective fences that may have been constructed by the victim (the 'fence' is dealt with in detail in a later chapter).DESTRUCTIONThis is the final product of expert priming. Few people survive the first physical blow and most are out of the game before they even realise that they are in it. Even trained martial artists often get suckered by the four 'D's because these do not appear on their training curriculum. They do not understand the enemy they are facing. The attacker uses the techniques of deception and distraction to prime a victim that is only trained in 'physical response'.

Learn to recognize these Pre-Assault Cues! Now you know, and knowing is half the battle!!

Stay safe my Friends!

My drawings for Inktober 2017 - drawing at least 1 pic each day in October:

Site Under Construction

Slowly but surely I've implemented changes to the site's look and functionality. I'm sure you have noticed the changes.Ecstatic that I've finally been able to successfully update my site closer more in line with my vision of it.

Not sure if it will be the final look of the site or not, but the Sojourn of Septillion Steps with respect to the site's look has already taken quite a few steps beyond the first!

I will still be endeavoring to put up information I think will benefit your martial arts training as well as your self-defense. I sincerely thank you for visiting/reading!